Incorporating quilting into the various 6th grade classes in one school has resulted in the students actually producing quilts for needy babies. This started out as a project for AIDs babies, but now has grown to involve any needy babies in hospitals in the area.

The project involves social studies, math, language arts and reading. It culminates with students forming groups of 2 or 3 to design (determining size and pattern of blocks) a quilt and cut out the blocks. They then mark seam allowance lines.

The teachers bring in sewing machines and stitch together the students’ squares. In preparation for “Quilt Day,” they try to have as much of the fronts together as possible.
On “Quilt Day,” generally one or two Saturdays, volunteer parents, grandparents, and other teachers help attach the fronts, backs, and batting. Then students help tie the quilts.

For several weeks, until the quilts are distributed to the designated hospital, they are hung and displayed in the school library.

Do your schools or youth groups become involved in quilt projects?

©2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting Across the Curriculum with Quilts for Needy Babies

   We have many more projects for you to explore in another round of posts by the Arts Bloggers.  Since there was a request for knitting projects by a visitor to one of the blogs, there are some spool knitted ones included this week.

Do you have any requests for arts and crafts and other creative projects you’d like to see or have more information?

This week, Noreen, at Hankering for Yarn, has designed a couple of really fun treasures- it all began with a spool knitted kitty cat bookmark, which lead to a springtime bunny. Who knows where it will all end? 

At Layers Upon Layers, Cyndi shows us an easy way to put those background papers and textured bits to use for an organic collage. 

 Eileen at The Artful Crafter gives step-by-step directions for decoupage under glass with a couple of unique twists for making a museum store quality decoupage plate. 

 Use your sewing machine to create easy, charming embroidered felt easter eggs with Chloe at Tangled Thread. 

 Katelyn, at Stamping Mad, shows how to make a mixed media piece in celebration of the amazing egg.

Heather, at A Creative Journal, calls out attention to Sisters on Sojourn website update where we can check out what the Sisters have for visual journal keepers.

Mary Emma, at Quilting and Patchwork, describes in her post, Student Makes Quilt Depicting Slavery & the Underground Railroad, how youngsters can learn much by creating quilts in connection with their classes. One 5th grader designed a very interesting project.

 At The Creative Bride, the Purple Haired Puppet Lady completes the embroidered flower brooch that she started last week, using this tutorial.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Round-up of the Arts Bloggers as Spring Arrives

 When I wrote the post, Quilting in the Classroom, Marijke Durning shared with me her daughter’s experience making a quilt for a school project.  I thought it so interesting, I wanted to share it with you.

When my now 19-yr-old daughter was in grade 5, she was studying slavery and the underground railroad. She had read about the quilts that may or may not have been used for escaping and the idea intrigued her.

What she did, with a bit of help from me, is made a picture quilt of what slaves may have had to come across while escaping. She glued fabric to a larger wallhanging size. If I remember correctly, she made a cabin, a river, trees, a clothes line, stuff like that. I helped her sandwich it and put a few stitches in here and there so it looked quilt-like. The project was displayed and she was very happy with it.

She’s never made another quilt, but this one was very special, I think.

I think that sounds like a very special project, too.  My granddaughter, a junior in high school, is making a Civil War era quilt, using reproduction fabrics from that era.  I’ll be writing more about that, as she gets further along with her quilt.

Have you worked with quilting projects in the classroom or in homeschooling?  Have your youngsters made or studied about quilts at school?

I’d love to hear about these projects.

(Marijke Durning is another b5media writer. You’ll find her blog, Help My Hurt, at the Science and Health Channel.)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Student Makes Quilt Depicting Slavery & the Underground Railroad

Quiltmaking and it’s history lends itself in many ways to the classroom, whether simply in one class or across the curriculum.  Some of the classes include:  math, social studies, reading, art and music

 I’ve taught about quilts and quilt history in several schools by:

 *Introducing quiltmaking to a 6th grade social studies class that was studying colonial times in America. This was a morning workshop, and the teacher followed up on the projects I started.

*Reading stories about quilts and quiltmaking in 4th grade reading and literature when I do substitute teaching.

*Designing and overseeing the making of a quilt with third and eighth graders.  The quilt depicted the town history.   My daughter, Beth, and I visited the school five times, working with the teachers and students during different steps in the process.

Beth  designed the quilt incorporating various historic sites around the town. The students made 4-patch and 9-patch blocks surrounding the picture blocks. Several students added embellishments. The teachers incorporated the quiltmaking into art, math, reading, and social studies classes.

How have you used quiltmaking and quilt history in homeschooling? 

Have your children done anything connected with quilts at school?

(c) 2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting in the Classroom